Prince estate: Trump violated promise not to play 'Purple Rain'

Shortly before President Donald Trump took the stage at downtown Minneapolis’ Target Center Thursday night, Prince’s “Purple Rain” played — even though his estate asked a year ago that the president stop using the late musician’s music.

“President Trump played Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ tonight at a campaign event in Minneapolis despite confirming a year ago that the campaign would not use Prince’s music,” Prince’s estate said in a tweet Thursday night. “The Prince Estate will never give permission to President Trump to use Prince’s songs.”

In October 2018, Prince’s estate asked that the president immediately “cease all use” of Prince’s songs. A spokeswoman for Prince’s estate provided an Oct. 15, 2018, letter from a Trump campaign attorney, who wrote that the campaign “will not use Prince’s music in connection with its activities going forward.”

Prince, a Minneapolis native, died in 2016 at his home in Chanhassen, after an accidental overdose of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. In 1983, he recorded “Purple Rain” live at First Avenue, across the street from Target Center.

St. Paul reporter Emma Nelson joined the Star Tribune in 2014, and has covered local government beats from Scott and Dakota counties to Minneapolis City Hall. She has also been part of reporting teams that covered the aftermath of the Norwood Teague sexual harassment scandal and the death of Prince.